Ball-bearing axle



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

A. C. FARNSWORTH.

BALL BEARING AXLE.

Patented June 8,1897.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Mariel.)

A. C. FARNSWORTH.

BALL BEARING AXLE.

No. 583,988. Patented June 8 1897.

UNITED STATES PATENT trier;G

ANDREW C. FARNSWORTH, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

BLL-BEARING AXLE.

SPEGIFIGTION forming part of Letters Patent No. 583,988, dated June 8,1897.

Application filed August 20, 1896. Serial No. 603,288. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, ANDREW C. FARNS- WORTH, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State ofIllinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Ball-Bearin gAxles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in ball-bearing axles for buggies,carriages, and Wagons generally. In axles of this class it is necessary,in order to render the bearings durable, easy ruiming, and noiseless, toprovide means for excluding dust from the races, as Well as means foradjusting moving parts with great precision and for locking themsecurely in adjusted position.

Hy object is to improve upon the ball-bearing axles hitherto in use byproviding a construction in which the adj ust-ment may be effected withease and great exactness and which prevents access of dust to the racesto any appreciable extent in a comparatively extended time.

In the drawings, Figure l is a broken View showing one end portion ofthe ball-bearing axle, partly in elevation and partly in section,applied to the hub, also in section, of a vehicle Wheel; Fig. 2, abroken elevation of a spindle portion of the axle; and Figs. 3, 4, and5, outer end views, respectively, of a removable hub-ring orflange-piece, a jam-nut and lock therefor, and a cap or housing-cup, allforming details of my improvedconstruction.

A is the hub of a vehicle-Wheel, provided in its opposite ends withrecesses in which are fitted boxes B B', screwed into the opposite endsof a sleeve B2.

C is an axle having the head or lia-nge t and spindle O. At the head tand forming an integral part vof the axle is a bearing part or surfacet, rendered slightly tapering in the direction of the end of the axleand terminating in an abrupt shoulder t2. In the face of the shoulder t2is a recess t3. The free end portion of the spindle is provided with ascrewthread t* and a longitudinally-extending recess t5. Extending intothe end 0f the spindle is a threaded socket t5. Fitting upon the spindleand bearing against the shoulder t2 is a cone or race member s, heldagainst rotation upon the spindle by means of a key inserted into therecess 118 and a coincident recess in the cone. The conc s presents anannular ball-bearing surface s. In the bogi Bis the annularbearing-surface r and adjacent thereto a preferably metal Washer r',which tends to confine the balls ,r/ against dropping` out. The outerend portion of the box B is provided With an internal screw thread r2.

D is a housing-ring provided at its inner end portion with an outercircumferential thread to fit the screw-thread r2, a shoulder q to bearagainst the end of the bor, and an inner circumferential shoulder q,fitting loosely around the surface t of the spindle. The ring D is ofthe shape shown in Fig. l, being curved inward at the end and fittingatits end surface q2 loosely around the surface of the head t. Betweenthe shoulder q' and surface q2 of the ring D is an inner circumferentialrecess c, adapted to receive a preferably felt Washer D'. The cone salong its outer surface tapers, preferably, as shown, to coincide withthe surface t of the spindle.

The box B is provided with a ball-bearing surface p and a Washerp',which con lines the balls gj against dropping out of the box. Beyond theWasher p the box is provided with an inner circumferential screw-threadp2. Fitting around the outer end portion of the spindle is a removablecone or race member n, having a ball-bearing surface n' and aninwardly-projecting lug or pin n2, which enters the groove t5 of thespindle and holds the cone-piece against independent rotation.

E is the hub-retaining jam-nut, made in the form of a cup, with aninternal screwthread to engage the thread t4 of the spindle. The nut orcup E is provided in its outer end with an opening m, surrounding which,on the inner side of the cup, is a bearing-shoul der m'. Screwed intothe socket 15G in the end of the spindle is a jam-nut lock or lockingscreur E', having a flange Z, presenting a shoulder to the shoulder m',and a head t", preferably squared for the engagement With it of a tooland passing through the opening fm, of the jam-nut. In the outer endportion of the head l is an opening to receive a cotter l?. Thethreadsof the screwE and socket t6 are preferably at a different pitch from thethreads in the jam-nut and on the end of the spindle.

G is a cap-piece or housing-cup which lits over the jam-nut E and isprovidedat its inner end with a thread to fit the screw-thread 792 inthe box B' and with an annular projection or shoulder 7c to fit againstthe end of the said box. On the outer end of the cup is a boss orprojection 7c', squared to receive a suitable wrench. Surrounding theouter end of the hub is the usual metal rein forcing-ring e', which Iprovide with an outer circumferential screw-thread i'.

H is a hub-flange or housing-ring extending over the cup G and threadedat its inner end portion to screw upon the thread t" of the ring t'. Inthe outer end of the ring H are inward-projecting lugs 72.

To place the wheel upon the spindle, the hub, with the boxes B B',containing the balls, and the rin g D, containing the washer D', arepassed over the end of the spindle into the position shown. In themovement of the ring D to the headi the washer D', held in place by theshoulder q', is crowded along the gradually-expanding surfaces of thecone s and part t' of the spindle, whereby it iits closely around thelatter. The cone n is then passed over the end of the spindle, its lu gn2 moving in theecess The lockin g-screw E', with the cotter Z2 removedtherefrom, is screwed into the socket t6, after which the jam-nut E isscrewed upon the end of the spindle to force the cone or race member nagainst the balls 7/ and draw the conc or race member s against theballs y. Uien the proper pressure against the balls is effected, thescrew E', which passes through the opening m of the jamnut, is turned tobear at its shoulder Zagainst the shoulder m' of the jamnut and lock thesame securely against turning. The cup G is then screwed into place,after which the ring H is placed in position, as shown.

By means of the j ain-nut E, which holds the moving parts of theball-bearings in contact, a very accurate adjustment may be effected,and this adjustment is not changed by the tightening of the screw E'. Asbefore stated, the threads of the j ain-nut and screw E pitch atdifferent angles, whereby any turning of the jam-nut in the direction ofloosening it upon the spindle would, byits frictional contact with theshoulder Z of the screw, tend to tighten the latter more iirmly againstthe shoulder m'. Thus it will be impossible 'for the jam-nut to changeits position. It has been found hitherto that when the hub-retaining nnthas been 'locked in place by a nut screwed against it from the outer endof the spindle the natural looseness between the threads would tend tocause the lock-nut when tightened to jam the retaining-nut inward andunduly tighten the adjustment. In the present construction the screw E'moves in the outward direction to lock the nut E, so that when theformer is tightened against the latter it will have no tendency to forcethe race members against the balls to cause any binding effect upon thelatter. The cotter-pin Z2 will prevent separation of the screw andjam-nut, so that there is no danger of loosening the screw when thejam-nut is removed from the spindle. The cup G coinpletely houses themoving parts at the outer end of the spindle and prevents access of dustthereto. Vhen the cup G is unscrewed from the box B', it is held againstseparation from the ring H by the lugs 7L, which project into the pathof the annular shoulder or projection k. This is a desirable feature, asit prevents separation of these parts when they are removed fromthe cup.If from any cause the cup G becomes unscrewed from the box B', it willbe prevented from falling out and being lost by the lugs h of the ringH, To oil the bearings at the box B', it will only be necessary tounscrew the cup G, withdraw it toward the lugs h, and insert the neckof-an oiler to the cone n. Thus the cup need not be removed from thehead in the oiling operation. The washerD', which, as before stated, ispreferably of felt, becomes saturated with oil and turns smoothly uponthe surface t'. Owing to the fact that it is jammed into place, asdescribed, it forms a very effective means for excluding dust from thebox B.

XVhile I prefer to construct my improvements in all parts as shown anddescribed, they may be modiiied in thematter of details withoutdeparting from the spirit of my invention as defined by the claims.

Vhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a ball-bearing axle, the combination of a hub, a spindle threadedalong its outer side and provided in its end portion with a threadedsocket, the threads of which are of a different pitch from those on theouter side of the spindle, ball-races and balls between the hub andspindle, a hub-retaining j ain-nut screwed upon the spindle and providedin its end with an opening and a shoulder, and a locking-screw for the jam-nut passing through the opening therein and screwed into the saidspindle-socket, and provided with an annular circumferential shoulder tobear in the outward direction against the shoulder on the jam-nut,substantially as described.

2. In a ball-bearing axle, the combination of a hub, a spindle threadedalong its outer side and provided in its end portion with a i threadedsocket, the threads of which are of a different pitch from those on theouter-side of the spindle, ball-races and balls between the hub andspindle, a cup-shaped hub-retaining jam-nutscrewed upon the spindle andprovided in its end with an opening and a shoulder on the inner side ofsaid opening, and a locking-screw for the j am-nut, screwed into thesaid spindle-socket and having an annular circumferential shoulder toengage and bear in the outward direction against the shoulder on thejam-nut and a head passing through and beyond said jam-nut opening,substantially as described.

ICO

YIO

8. In a ball-bearing,` axle, the combination of a hub provided with aninner box and an outer box threaded at its outer end, a spindle providedat its inner end with a head and threaded along its outer end, a racemember on the spindle at the head thereof, an adj nstable race member onthe outer end portion of the spindle, balls between the said boxes andrace members, an adjustable hub-retaining jamenutserewed upon the end ofthe spindle against said adjustable race member, leeking means for thejam-nut, a dust-excluding housing-cup for the jam-nut, screwed upon thesaid outer hub-boxv and provided at its inner end portion with anoutward-extending I 5 and prevent vthdrawal of the latter, sub- 2ostantially as described.

ANDR-E'W C. FARNSWORTH.

In presence of- J. N. IIANSON, R. T. SPENCER.

